Back To The Open-Plan Office

When Emily finally left Kevin's office, a mischievous grin played around her lips. She looked like a cat that had just nibbled on a pot of cream. Behind her, only a muffled groan could be heard, drowned out by the whirring of the computer fans.

She closed the door with a careless flick of her wrist. Click. Then she smoothed her skirt and headed back to the open-plan office. Her pulse had long since returned to a steady rhythm, but the blush on her cheeks could have given her away if anyone could have imagined what had happened in Kevin's office.

She was very pleased with the outcome of her detour to IT.

Not only had her user account been reactivated, but Kevin had also confirmed that, as an IT administrator, he could do anything, literally anything. That could be very useful, she decided. And she already had a few ideas on how she could persuade him to do a few things for her that might not be on his job description.

She walked down the hallway and reached the open-plan office, a neat pattern of desks and screens. Murmurs, rustling, and the soft clatter of keyboards interwove to form a dense tapestry of sound. Emily wondered for a moment what the others thought Kevin and she had been doing. Or had anyone even noticed how long she had been gone?

She smoothed her blouse, tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear, and walked between the desks. A few of the men looked up from their screens, their eyes fixed on her. Emily didn't shy away from them; on the contrary, she winked at them, half challenging, half playful. Almost all of the guys felt caught out. Quickly and guiltily, their eyes darted back to their screens. Some even blushed slightly. Emily revelled in the feeling that she was in control here and gained confidence.

Only one of her colleagues did not look away. He assessed her from head to toe as a matter of course, registering the sheen of her skin, her blouse that was unbuttoned far too far, her skirt that was still a little crooked. He leaned back confidently in his desk chair, played with a pencil between his fingers, and raised his eyebrows.

What was he thinking? What did he know? Who was he? Emily wondered whether she wanted to get to know him better—or whether she should avoid him.

She took a deep breath, gathered herself, and her neutral expression returned. Only the corner of her mouth twitched with a hint of amusement. Around her sat people who had no idea what Emily was planning to do next.